Intellectual game involving multi-variable analysis

Abstract

An intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills for complex critical thinking involving the analysis of multiple variables. The intellectual game includes a set of playing cards, or alternatively, computer software for playing the intellectual game. Each of the playing cards includes an image representing a value for each of a plurality of criterions. Each of the plurality of criterions are associated with a different edge of the playing card. The playing cards are matched to each other along their edges based on the corresponding values of the criterions associated with the matching edges. The computer software embodiment of the intellectual game includes a pattern of icons representing values for each of a plurality of criterion. The icons are matched to each other based upon the values of the criterions via selection markers.

I claim:  
     
       1. An intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills comprising: 
       a set of cards, each card including a face, a first edge, a second edge, a third edge and a fourth edge;  
       an image located on said face, said image representing at least a shape, a color, a size and a number;  
       said first edge including a shape indicia;  
       said second edge including a color indicia;  
       said third edge including a size indicia an; and  
       said fourth edge including a number indicia.  
     
     
       2. The intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills of  claim 1  wherein said image represents a shape selected from the group consisting of a circle, a square, a triangle, a cone, a star and a pentagon. 
     
     
       3. The intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills of  claim 1  wherein said image represents a color selected from the group consisting of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and pink. 
     
     
       4. The intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills of  claim 1  wherein said image represents a size selected from the group consisting of small, medium and large. 
     
     
       5. The intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills of  claim 1  wherein said image represents a number selected from the group consisting of one, two and three. 
     
     
       6. The intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills of  claim 1  wherein said shape indicia is the text “shape” printed along said first edge. 
     
     
       7. The intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills of  claim 1  wherein said color indicia is the text “color” printed along said second edge. 
     
     
       8. The intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills of  claim 1  wherein said size indicia is the text “size” printed along said third edge. 
     
     
       9. The intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills of  claim 1  wherein said size indicia is the text “number” printed along said fourth edge. 
     
     
       10. The intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills of  claim 1  wherein each of said cards includes a cutout portion. 
     
     
       11. A game piece for an intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills comprising: 
       a playing card including a face, a first edge, a second edge and a third edge;  
       an image located on said face, said image including a value for at least three different criteria, wherein each of said at least three different criteria is selected from the group consisting of color, number, shape, size and direction;  
       a first indicia placed along said first edge;  
       a second indicia placed along said second edge; and  
       a third indicia placed along said third edge, wherein said first indicia, said second indicia and said third indicia are each a different indicia and are each selected from the group consisting of color, number, shape, size and direction.  
     
     
       12. The game piece for an intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills of  claim 4  wherein said first indicia placed along said first edge is the text “color” printed along said first edge, said second indicia placed along said second edge is the text “number” printed along said second edge and said third indicia placed along said third edge is the text “shape” printed along said third edge. 
     
     
       13. The game piece for an intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills of  claim 11  wherein said first indicia placed along said first edge is the text “number” printed along said first edge, said second indicia placed along said second edge is the text “shape” printed along said second edge and said third indicia placed along said third edge is the text “size” printed along said third edge. 
     
     
       14. The game piece for an intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills of  claim 11  wherein said first indicia placed along said first edge is the text “shape” printed along said first edge, said second indicia placed along said second edge is the text “size” printed along said second edge and said third indicia placed along said third edge is the text “direction” printed along said third edge. 
     
     
       15. The game piece for an intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills of  claim 11  wherein said playing card further comprises a fourth edge including a fourth indicia placed along said fourth edge, wherein said fourth indicia is selected from the group consisting of color, number, shape, size and direction and said fourth indicia and each of said first indicia, second indicia, third indicia and said fourth indicia are different indicia. 
     
     
       16. The game piece for an intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills of  claim 15  wherein said first indicia placed along said first edge is the text “color” printed along said first edge, said second indicia placed along said second edge is the text “shape” printed along said second edge, said third indicia placed along said third edge is the text “size” printed along said third edge and said fourth indicia placed along said fourth edge is the text “number” printed along said fourth edge. 
     
     
       17. The game piece for an intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills of  claim 15  wherein said first indicia placed along said first edge is the text “shape” printed along said first edge, said second indicia placed along said second edge is the text “size” printed along said second edge, said third indicia placed along said third edge is the text “direction” printed along said third edge and said fourth indicia placed along said fourth edge is the text “color” printed along said fourth edge. 
     
     
       18. An intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills comprising: 
       a game screen;  
       a pattern of a plurality of icons within said game screen, each of said icons including a value for at least three different criteria, wherein each of said at least three different criteria is selected from the group consisting of color, number, shape, size and direction;  
       a plurality of selection markers, wherein one of said plurality of selection marker is located between each pair of adjacent icons within said game screen; and  
       selection criteria including a plurality of indicia located within said game screen, wherein said plurality of indicia is selected from the group consisting of color, number, shape, size and direction, wherein a player of the intellectual game identifies matching adjacent icons by selecting said selection markers located between said matching adjacent icons, said matching adjacent icons being defined as adjacent icons that have identical values for the criteria provided by said selection criteria.  
     
     
       19. The intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills of  claim 18  wherein said selection criteria is the text “color and number.” 
     
     
       20. The intellectual game for rehearsing cognitive skills of  claim 18  wherein said selection criteria is the text “color, number, shape, size and direction.”